CFA ARCHAEOLOGY LTD May 2004 Commissioned by The Highland Council, Transport, Environmental and Community Services This document has been prepared in accordance with CFA standard operating procedures. Author: Date Approved by: Date Draft/Final Report Stage: FINAL Author: Melanie Johnson MA AIFA FSA Scot and Magnus Kirby MA Illustrator: Kevin Hicks BA FSA Scot and Karen Clarke BA MSc Editor: Andrew Dunwell BA FSA Scot MIFA Copyright reserved: © CFA Archaeology Ltd CFA ARCHAEOLOGY LTD The Old Engine House Eskmills Business Park Musselburgh EH21 7PQ Tel: 0131-273 4380 Fax: 0131-273 4381 email: [email protected] A832 Achnasheen to Kinlochewe Road Upgrade Phase 2: Lubmore to Glen Docherty Viewpoint Archaeological Recording and Excavations Data Structure Report 03/00653/NIDRC Report no. 919 A832/919/0/31/05/04 1 of 79 CFA CONTENTS 1. Introduction 5 2. Archaeological Background 7 3. Methods Statement 11 4. Site 3 – Lubmore settlement 12 5. Site 10 – enclosure at Eas a’ Chlamhain 20 6. Site 11 – old road alignment at Lubmore 25 7. Site 12 – putative cairn near Lùb Mhór 27 8. Site 15 – old road alignment 30 9. Site 24 – old road alignment at the watershed 35 10. Site 27 – iron-working bloomery site beside Glen Docherty Burn 39 11. Site 28 – alleged structure beside Glen Docherty Burn 47 12. Site 46 – shieling near Glen Docherty viewpoint 48 13. Conclusions 53 14. References 54 Appendices 1. Context list 55 2. Photographic register 57 3. Small finds register 61 4. Samples register 62 5. Field drawings register 63 6. Written Scheme of Investigation 64 7. Further archaeological excavation, scope of works 71 8. The Highland Council Archaeology Unit Specification 73 9. Schedule of works produced by the Archaeology Unit 79 A832/919/0/31/05/04 2 of 79 CFA Figures Fig. 1 Location maps, showing extent of road scheme and general site 4 locations Fig. 2 Sites 3 and 11, location map showing principal features examined at 16 Site 3: inset, extract from 2nd edition Ordnance Survey map (1905) Fig. 3 Site 3, plan of building remains 17 Fig. 4 Site 3, Trench 3, section of polygonal enclosure bank 18 Fig. 5 Site 10, location plan showing trenches 22 Fig. 6 Site 10, plan and sections 23 Fig. 7 Site 11, east-facing section of old road alignment 26 Fig. 8 Site 12, location plan showing trenches 28 Fig. 9 Site 15, location plan showing trenches 32 Fig. 10 Site 15, Trench 3, NW-facing section 33 Fig. 11 Site 24, location plan showing trenches 37 Fig. 12 Site 24, Trench 2, NW-facing section 38 Fig. 13 Sites 27 and 28, location plan showing trenches, test-pits and 42 bloomery mound Fig. 14 Site 27, trench plan showing principal features and section locations 43 Fig. 15 Site 27, sections through bloomery mound 44 Fig. 16 Site 27, sections through burnt material adjacent to bloomery mound 45 Fig. 17 Site 46, location plan showing trench location 50 Fig. 18 Site 46, plan and section of structure 51 Plates Plate 1 Site 3, polygonal enclosure from the NE 19 Plate 2 Site 3, building remains including primary floor, from NE 19 Plate 3 Site 3, section through NW wall of building, from NE 19 Plate 4 Site 3, platform in yard partly exposed, showing secondary paving 19 over primary cobbling Plate 5 Site 10, enclosure / structure from W 24 Plate 6 Site 10, showing internal face of N wall and interior of structure. 24 The E wall is also visible Plate 7 Site 10, detail of internal face of E wall of structure 24 Plate 8 Site 10, section of mound backing E wall of structure 24 Plate 9 Site 12, showing mound from SE 29 Plate 10 Site 12, showing trenches exposing subsoil on mound, from S 29 Plate 11 Site 15, showing terraced surface of old road alignment from SE, 34 with natural scarp to N and break of slope to S Plate 12 Site 24, showing length of old road alignment in open ground to SE, 34 from NW Plate 13 Site 24, showing length of old road alignment passing through defile 34 to NW, from SE Plate 14 Site 24, showing Trench 2 NW-facing section, from SE 34 Plate 15 Site 27, showing the bloomery mound from the NW. 46 The ranging rod is stood on the mound. Plate 16 Site 27, showing Areas A-C, and exposed bloomery mound material, 46 from SW Plate 17 Site 27, showing cross-section of bloomery mound material in Areas 46 A and B, from SW Plate 18 Site 27, showing slag slab in Area E, from NE 46 Plate 19 Site 46, showing shieling from S 52 Plate 20 Site 46, showing cross-section across shieling, from SE 52 A832/919/0/31/05/04 3 of 79 CFA A832 Inverness K i nlo che we R i v e A832 r ig Incheril ha ac Edinburgh ru Glasgow B nn Abhai Kinlochewe G len D A A832 A llt D l l t a u ' o cha che C Site E iridh r a h t s o y 46 a n ' ' C a i h g ' la h n ha in Sites Site Lochrosque Achnasheen Sites 12 Badavanich Lodge 27 & 28 Site 3 & 11 Site 10 24 Lubmore inn D ha ub Site Loch a' Chroisg Ab h 15 Lub' Mh'or An Liathanach Loch Gowan 90 A8 0 1 2 3m Fig. 1 - Location maps, showing extent of road scheme and general site locations A832/919/0/31/05/04 4 of 79 CFA 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 General 1.1.1 This report presents the results of a programme of archaeological excavation and recording carried out by CFA Archaeology Ltd (CFA) in advance of construction works associated with the A832 Achnasheen to Kinlochewe Phase 2 road upgrade, between Lubmore and Glen Docherty viewpoint, Highland (NGR: NH 064 594 - 101 585; Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by The Highland Council Transport, Environmental and Community Services (TECS). 1.1.2 The requirement for the archaeological recording formed a condition attached to planning consent for the proposed road upgrade scheme (Ref: 03/00653/NIDRC) by the Archaeology Unit of The Highland Council Planning and Development Service. The Archaeology Unit produced in November 2003 a Brief for the works, containing generic information regarding the aims, methods and products of the work (Appendix 8). The Archaeology Unit also produced at the same time a specific schedule of archaeological recording works required (see Section 2.10, Table 1; Appendix 9). In December 2003 CFA produced a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) for the recording works (Appendix 6) to fulfil the requirements of the Brief and schedule, which was approved by The Archaeology Unit. 1.1.3 The archaeological fieldwork took place in February and March 2003, in often wintry conditions with a period of significant snowfall that hampered and slowed excavation work at Sites 3 and 27, although the primary objectives of the recording were nevertheless achieved. 1.1.4 The objectives of the archaeological recording were to: • record to agreed methods and appropriate standards those archaeological features that lay within areas proposed for development, prior to the commencement of construction works, and • ensure that the needs for archaeological recording and conservation were met without causing any unnecessary delay or disturbance to the road improvement project. 1.1.5 The authors are grateful to Hilary White of the Archaeology Unit for providing curatorial assistance throughout the project. 1.2 Planning Background 1.2.1 In 2001 The Highland Council commissioned CFA Archaeology Ltd to conduct a baseline survey of the proposed Phase 2 and Phase 3 A832 road upgrade corridor between Lubmore and Kinlochewe, based upon a preliminary route alignment design. The survey was conducted to fulfil the requirements of a Specification produced by the Archaeology Unit. A report detailing the A832/919/0/31/05/04 5 of 79 CFA results of that study (Dunwell 2001) has been lodged with the Council’s Sites and Monuments Record. 1.2.2 In 2003 the relevant baseline data gathered during the 2001 study was incorporated into an Environmental Statement for the proposed Phase 2 road upgrade scheme. At that time additional survey was undertaken over a c. 1km length on the south side of the existing road alignment, to either side of Eas a’ Chlamhain, where the finalised road alignment lay outside the original study corridor. This additional work, conducted in February 2003, did not lead to any further discoveries of cultural heritage significance. 1.2.3 Both documents contained mitigation recommendations. These were superseded by the requirements listed in the schedule produced by the Archaeology Unit (Appendix 9). A832/919/0/31/05/04 6 of 79 CFA 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 General 2.1.1 Baseline desk-based and field survey conducted in 2001 and 2003 identified 39 sites of cultural heritage significance along a study corridor including the proposed road upgrade corridor between Lubmore and Glen Docherty viewpoint (all sites are catalogued in Dunwell 2001). Prior to the baseline survey the National Monuments Record of Scotland (NMRS) had recorded only three sites within the study corridor, comprising two iron-working sites (Ref: NH05NE 1-2) and various old road alignments (Ref: NH05NE 6). The baseline survey demonstrated that most of the significant archaeological sites and monuments identified by the study could be related to one of three principal factors influencing the historic development of the landscape. • Medieval or later agricultural settlement and land use. • The construction of the military road in the 18th century, and its subsequent upgrading and realignment to form the modern road.